Hrmitt reference grammar

4.2. Non-verbal Clauses

4.2.1. The Predicative -i Suffix

The predicative suffix -i is used for forming non-verbal clauses from adjectives and nouns.

4.2.2. Adjectival Clauses

Adjectival clauses take an object in the nominative, and expresses an attribute of the object. The adjective is detached from the noun and stands alone, with the predicative -i suffix:

4.2.2.1. Periphrasis with Body Parts

Some adjectives, especially when applied to persons, expect a periphrasis involving a body part, rather than just the bare noun. For example:

In the case of bluŋ, the ipf is obligatory and cannot be omitted.

Other adjectives, however, do not require such a periphrasis, but it may still be added for emphasis or to insert additional overtones:

The insertion of buf adds an insinuating, snickering overtone to the statement, often done in informal conversations.

Different adjectives have different preferred body parts for such insertions. For example:

If a different body part is substituted, the meaning can change substantially:

4.2.2.2. Common Adjective-Noun Pairings

Here are some common adjectives and the body part they are usually paired with:

4.2.2.3. Comparative Adjectival Clauses

Comparative adjectives (section 3.2.4) are often used in isolation as interjections:

In comparative statements, the predicative suffix -i is added to the comparative adjective:

If a standard of comparison is present, it is stated in the ablative case:

If persons are involved, a body part circumlocution is often added, depending on the adjective in question (see section 4.2.2.2):

Different choices of body circumlocution may carry different connotations. For example:

4.2.3. Nominal Clauses

When the object of a nominal clause is in the nominative, it expresses identity:

When the object is in the patientive case, it has an adjectival meaning:

4.2.4. Locative Clauses

Locative clauses are expressed by a predicative noun and an object in the nominative case:

This construction is identical to a nominal clause expressing identity; the distinction appears to be based on whether the predicative noun in -i is a place noun.

4.2.5. Plural Nominal Clauses in mo'-

Nominal clauses use the mo'- prefix to indicate plurality. For example:

Some uses of mo'- appear to have idiomatic meaning, though:

The word moversht is a derivation from mo'- “many” + versht “inside”, literally “many insides”, an idiom for “building”. It appears that this idiomatic meaning is chosen over the literal interpretation of the above utterance as “she has many rooms (insides)”.

A similar idiom appears as a pejorative:

Literally, mo'ipf means “many-eyed”: being a one-eyed species, the native speakers consider the idea of having many eyes monstrous. Hence, calling someone many-eyed (or, if we are to take buftek literally, saying that someone's body has many eyes) is a pejorative. See section 7.3.1.

4.2.6. Alienable and Inalienable Possession

To describe referents that belong to another referent, an ablative construction is used:

To describe referents that are an inalienable part of another referent, a possessive construction is used instead:

Note that the same noun hramis is used for sections within the station, and satellites outside the station (see previous example), the distinction being whether alienable or inalienable possession is used to describe them.

4.2.7. Negation

Nominal and adjectival clauses are negated by inserting the negation suffix -opf- before the predicative -i.